National Tattoo Association
Tattoo & Piercing Shop Nonprofit Organization
National Tattoo Association originally started as the National Tattoo Club of the World . The owners of National Tattoo Supply started the club back in early 1976 as an unregistered organization. There were no dues to join because the National Tattoo Supply Company paid for everything. You did not have to be recommended to join; you did not have to send in photos of your work, etc. Whoever bought from National Tattoo Supply automatically became a member of the club.
April 1976 was the release of our first newsletter, and back then it was a 3 page stapled letter. The second issue had a few black and white photos of tattoos and stepped up to 8 pages. Our fourth issue (Oct. 1976) was the beginning of the Featured Artists sections of our newsletter. Our first featured artist was Jerry FLY Colewell from East Patchogue, NY. The Dec. 1976 issue started to list the nicknames of our members. August 1977, the 9th issue, was the newsletters' debut in the form of a magazine. April/May 1978, the 13th issue, was the last free issue of the newsletter. This issue featured the Skuse Family and the Amsterdam I.T.A.A. (International Tattoo Artists Association) Convention.
The actual start of The National Tattoo Club of the World as a True Organization really began in 1978. When I.T.A.A. started to flounder Peter Tat2 Poulos and his wife Dianne called National Tattoo Supply to say they would help I.T.A.A. put on their conventions. Flo Makofske, one of the owners of National Tattoo Supply, called the president of I.T.A.A. with Peter and Dianne's offer. The I.T.A.A. declined the offer. A few days later Peter and Diane called back and said why not make "The National Tattoo club of the World" a non-profit organization. It was talked over, and ground rules and regulations for joining were implemented. The owners of National Tattoo supply went to a lawyer and set it all up. The officers were then named: Philadelphia Eddie-President, Don Makofske - Vice President and Flo Makofske - Secretary/Treasurer. The by -laws were set up for a five (5) year term running from June 1978- May 1983 with no officers receiving any salaries. It was also set up that you would need to be recommended by two (2) Artist members to join and that we would cap the membership off at 1,000 members as we were looking for quality not quantity in our membership. Dues were set up to be $15.00 a year at that time. It was also set up that the Board of Directors, which just consisted of the officers, would form a quorum that would be able to change any of the by-laws at any time.
The first National Convention was set up for Denver, Colorado March 23rd - 25th, 1979 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The officers of the N.T.A.(National Tattoo Association) sat down with Peter, Dianne, and Larry Romano, as they were going to be in charge of the security and negotiating with the hotel and such, and discussed the rules and regulations of the contests, the dinner, the welcome party, having suppliers there, etc. This was to be a Convention to promote tattooing and only Tattooing.
After the Convention in Denver it was discussed which, if any, rules and regulations should be put into the by-laws. Since we weren't quite unanimous in some of the subjects we sent out a questionnaire for the entire membership to vote on. We asked if they wanted conventions to continue, Should the Press be invited, should there be tattooing, if yes 1 day, 2 days, the entire convention?, Should awards be given out, and for which catagories?, How should they be voted on and by whom?, If no convention would they like a vacation meeting, what type of resort, summer or winter?, What month?, etc. Should suppliers be allowed to pass out catalogs and or sell their equipment? What would you like included or eliminated from conventions?, Should clubs continue?, Should newsletters continue?, Should Fans be allowed to join?, what qualifications for fans to join? Same for Artists?, Any other comments you'd like to say, etc.
The outcome was that you wanted conventions, every year. You wanted contests and wanted them judged by all attending. You wanted the club to continue along with the newsletter. Fans could join only if they were already members. If new ones wanted to join they had to be recommended by 2 tattooists in the club and have at least 4 tattoos, send in photos of themselves and the name or names of their tattooists. Artists who were already members could remain members any new tattooists wishing to join had to send in photos of their work, their business card, photo of themselves in their studio or the studio they worked in and they needed to be recommended by 2 artist members.